Consequences of Evanescence
by Sage S. Adoren
Summary: All Celia ever wanted was answers and was determined to find them. After radio silence for years, she finally had a new lead. Suffice to say, a bunch of mercenaries and a young woman was not what she expected it to be. (Mann vs Mech AU! Rewrite of "The Witch" and "Of A Witch and Mercenaries")
1. Chapter 1

Hi guys! Sage here and I'm back! Now, this is more of a story that has had two versions before this one: "The Witch" and "Of A Witch and Mercenaries". The first story I wrote was years ago when I first started stepping a toe into the fanfiction pool so it was obvious and glorious shit. The second story I wrote was when I was still really bad at story structure and pacing and even character development.

But alas, I have returned to write hopefully the final version of this story that I have had in my head for quite literally 7 years now. This story is now completely different to the last two and the character of Seth Rivers has changed to Celia Rivers and her personality has also drastically changed.

* * *

_Consequences of __Evanescence_

Chapter One:

"Letters Traded, Mistakes Corrected"

* * *

"_Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end…"_

**Seneca**

* * *

_Paris, France - September 1st, 1972_

The sounds of a typewriter occupied the large, seldom lit room. The room was heavily decorated, with trinkets and decor from all around the world. A lot of it was animal skins, teeth, skulls and horns, all with varying degree of quality with heads of dead animals mounted on the walls. The room only had one large ceiling high window that seeped moonlight through and the only source of light besides that would be the lamp on the desk. This didn't seem to bother the man sitting at the desk however, seeing as he was typing away, uncaring.

Click, click, click, slide.

This man was dressed quite fancifully, a suit with the finest silk, black, pristine complimented with dress pants made of similar materials and dress shoes, black, polished, perhaps doubly so, with not a single hint of dirt on them. He was obviously an elder man as his features were gaunt and tired with large, black eyes, high cheekbones and greying hair. He was thin and tall and he had perfect posture. He looked very sophisticated and yet stoic.

Click, click, click-

**Click**.

A new click joined in with his own and he paused. His fingers hovered over the keys as he stared at them. The tension was high as he was still as stone. Before he pulled out a handgun from his belt in the blink of an eye and shot at the air ahead of him from where he heard the other click.

He paused again, looking ahead with narrowed eyes. There was no one there.

Bam!

He shouted in shock as the gun was shot out of his hands without even grazing his skin. He gasped as he turned to look from where the bullet came from and only a couple of meters away stood a figure, drenched in the darkness.

Slowly, he raised his hands up where the figure could see them. And then he smiled slyly. "Ah, what a pleasure it is for you to join us this evening," He said smoothly, his voice was laced with a heavy french accent and it was deep and sophisticated. "Miss Lorelei."

The figure stepped out of the dark and slowly walked towards him, revealing the appearance of said intruder. It was obvious she was female as soon as her form was visible, considering the wider hips and curvier body shape. But also her facial features gave it away - soft, delicate and smooth. Her skin was pale and flawless, almost eerily so with focused, yellowish orange eyes that seemed to glow in the dark, framed by long, thick eyelashes and thick, dark eyebrows. She had a small and thin nose, almost a bit too small for her face with soft cheekbones, a small chin and well-sized forehead. Her most noticeable feature however was her long, wild, blonde, curly hair, which was currently tied back in a bun. She looked young, like she was in her late twenties or early thirties.

She was dressed in a black, form-fitting, strapless dress that eagerly showed off her curves, with black, high heels. Thick, yellow lines wrapping around her arms from her shoulders to her middle fingers, though the closer he looked, he could see that they were tattooed onto her skin (or at least it seemed so.) The most important thing on her however, was the pistol she held, which was aimed directly at his head.

She smiled coyly in return. "Doctor Julian Sulvas Leblanc, it is a pleasure to finally meet you as well." She retorted, giving a smirk. Her own accent was undeniably English with a soft yet dramatic flare to it. "You weren't at the party, so I figured I'd drop in to say 'hi.'"

He shrugged slightly. "Parties aren't my style, miss Lorelei. But then again, you seem to have realized that." He spun his chair back towards the desk, looking away from her as he lowered his arms and placed them on the desk.

"I'm not here to kill you, Doctor. I'm here because I've been told you have some information for me." She said calmly, though didn't lower her pistol. He scoffed at that, humorously.

"And yet here you are, pointing a gun at my face." He retorted with amusement. The woman raised a brow at him.

"We both know why I am still holding this lovely up." She asserted before coming around to sit at the chair in front of his desk, the gun still pointed in this direction. "So, I'm here. And I want answers."

"About?" He inquired, not wanting to test this woman's nerves.

She stared into his eyes deeply. "About the way the beginnings end." She answered, her voice deadly serious. His eyes widened for a moment before he closed them, leaning back in his chair, relaxing slightly. She stared at him unblinkingly.

"And the way the endings begin," He chuckled softly as his eyes reopened slowly to study her features, as if he had recognized her. Lorelei's eyes widened briefly before returning to their cold stoicness.

"Yes…" She finished quietly, almost surprised.

"So, you're Wisteria's daughter? Celia, is it?" He asked calmly.

"Yes." She answered, lowering her pistol slowly. "So… the letter? What of it?"

He chuckled as his eyes looked away from hers, studying his room carelessly. "Yes, indeed, I know of what you speak of," He foretold. "Your mother and I were… like siblings, I should say. But she was always smarter than me, as hard as that is to admit. Anyways, you have come here for answers to what that letter you received pertains and I am here to deliver."

"Go on," Celia pressed, a tad impatiently. He laughed slightly at her tone, finding it incredibly funny that such a being, like herself, was impatient. She glared slightly at him, finding it insulting almost.

"I however, do not have all the answers you seek," With her brows furrowed and eyes narrowed, Celia was just about to cut him off, before he spoke up again. "However, she did give me something to safe keep before she disappeared." And with that he stood up and proceeded to walk over to a large, expensive, baroque painting, his strides graceful as he stood before it. Celia, curious and cautious, followed him, standing a few feet behind him. The man then pressed his hand to it, whispering something unintelligible and the painting disappeared, slowly fading into nothingness.

What remained however, was a small, black envelope in his hand. He nodded once before turning to her and handing it to her gingerly. She took it, looking at it with bemusement. "What is this supposed to be?" She demanded quietly.

He shrugged, ignoring her indignant attitude as he turned to walk back to his desk, seating himself back down. "I haven't the faintest clue. Any way I've tried opening it, I cannot. The magic binding it has it sealed tightly." He responded, almost disappointingly. Celia smirked slightly, amused that he thought he could open an envelope protected by _her_ mother's magic. He sighed, defeated as he looked up to where she stood. "Besides, I'm sure you'll find some way of opening it-"

He paused when he realized she was no longer in the room. Scoffing, he scooted his chair forward to return to his typing. "_Fille arrogante_…"

* * *

Celia sat on the roof, which overlooked the beautiful and elegant city of Paris, night lights filled the streets, illuminating (in Celia's opinion) the most beautiful city in the world. She sighed heavily as she stared at the city before her before looking down at the envelope in her hands. She flipped it over and saw the golden wax seal with the letter 'R' imprinted on it, carefully holding the envelope closed.

Determined, she began to recite a series of phrases, all in a different language. There was no reaction from the envelope. Nothing seemed to achieve her goal at the moment. She glared at the envelope.

"How the hell do I open you?" She yelled irritate. Closing her eyes, she huffed indignantly. She briefly wondered if the world was simply out to get her and why when she was so close to getting answers, she could not… damn it all…

Frustrated, though unconvinced of her actions, she pulled up the wax seal manually. To her great surprise, the envelope opened. Blinking once before she groaned at her own stupidity. Of course it was that simple. Rolling her eyes, she pulled out the letter before placing the envelope to her side, and proceeded to read it.

_My dearest Celia,_

_I know this may seem like a strange thing, to receive a letter from me after I've undoubtedly disappeared, but you must listen. There is something very important I need you to do. There is someone who will have answers for you. Her name is Helen and she undoubtedly knows what has happened to me._

_But before that can happen, you need to go to a place. All I need you to do is to go to: _

_Teufort, New Mexico, United States of America by September 5th of whatever year this is._

_And I need you to find a woman by the name of Miss Pauling. I've trained you well, you should be able to find her easily, my dearest._

_You will receive further instructions from her. And remember this phrase "The Admin awaits." That will be what she will tell you, all you have to do is tell her "She has summoned us here." to confirm your identities._

_Good luck, my sweet Celia._

_Truly with so much love,_

_Your mother_

Celia, confused and yet intrigued, closed the letter and put it back into the envelope. Before suddenly, yellow flames erupted around it as she burned it to ashes. A method of destroying any obviously sensitive material after she was finished with it. An old habit but one she didn't dare risk not doing for the fear of someone else reading it was too great. Besides, it didn't matter.

She had a plane to catch.


	2. Chapter 2

And we're back with another chapter! Hurray! Anyways, I won't take up too much of your time so here goes!

* * *

_Consequences of Evanescence_

Chapter Two:

"The Lady in Purple"

* * *

"_Go somewhere you know nothing about and see what happens."_

**Karl Ove Knausgard**

* * *

_1800 hours - Teufort, New Mexico - September 5th, 1971_

Teufort was certainly an entirely different place than Paris was all Celia could think of when she reached her destination. For instance, it was much, _much_ smaller than Paris so finding this place was incredibly difficult since there were no flights or buses going through here. There was only the train, on which she had to bribe the conductor to be allowed on since it wasn't a passenger carrying train. Celia knew that finding this individual would take her a while. However, she was nothing if not determined, and, with the help of some of her tricks, it would be easy.

Upon arrival to Teufort and stepping onto the gravel roads, she relaxed beneath the hot sun of the desert lands and stood there for a moment, letting the sun warm her cold skin. The northern cities these days were always getting colder since fall was approaching after all. She was dressed in a white sundress with matching sandals and a white sun hat, looking elegant yet radiant as always. Her tattoos glowing slightly in the sun though no one who walked by her seemed to notice.

She exhaled softly. No matter the sun, she had a mission to accomplish. She closed her eyes slowly as she stood there silently, letting herself feel every muscle in her body, her vein, every artery, every single living cell. She had control of her entire body now. She could feel the pumping of her heart, the breathing of her lungs, the cells interacting and reacting.

And then she spread those sensations outwards, reaching everywhere and everyone, she saw many faces, flashing by her in a blur but her target was one person though. Minutes passed as she scanned the town, full of many people, but was careful not to go too fast as to spend her energy too quickly.

And then she found her. Miss Pauling. She was in a house on the outskirts of the town, a good walks away. Celia easily found her location with little problem and saved the address in her memory. Then reopened her eyes.

The sun had begun to set now. There were still people around but not as many. She checked her watch to read the time was 7:30 pm. The biggest downside to this spell was that it took a lot of time to complete and yet it felt like minutes to her, a sensation much like sleeping. Sighing, she proceeded to grab her suitcase and head towards the address.

Miss Pauling was certainly not easy to stress out, which was understandable considering who she worked for. But this situation, where she had no clue what the person (who the Administrator was so insistent on) was going to be like or do. When Helen told her to expect someone to find her in Teufort and to recruit them with the mercs, Miss Pauling hadn't a single idea of what to expect. Would this be another mercenary? But who else was there? What kind of person would they be?

Many questions whirled through Miss Pauling's mind as she looked around the small living room of the safe house for anything to occupy her while she waited. She knew to expect this person today but it was getting late and she began to suspect that this person wouldn't show up at all. She settled on eating some snacks she had bought earlier.

As she was munching on some crackers, she heard a knock at the door. Raising an eyebrow, she walked over to it. Cautiously, she peeked through the peephole. Standing there was a tall woman dressed in a white sundress and a pristine, white, leather jacket. Miss Pauling stepped away from the door, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. Was this… the person the Administrator was talking about? Well, it was worth a shot.

"The Admin awaits." Was all Miss Pauling exclaimed through the door. In return, she received silence for a few seconds. Miss Pauling, slightly on edge now, began to pull out a handgun.

"She has summoned us here." The reply came then after. Miss Pauling widened her eyes before lowering the gun and hiding it. She then stepped towards the door and opened it, revealing the woman in her full glory.

The lady in question was both taller and prettier than herself, with this sort of inhuman-like aura to her even though she looked fully human. Miss Pauling had been around a particular wizard long enough to know that this aura was similar to the one he had if not drastically different. Though she was equally surprised to find just how the person in question looked like. She may have been tall but she was also rather thin, despite her curves. She didn't really look threatening or even remotely scary, just eerily attractive and athletic.

"Um, hi…" Miss Pauling greeted after a couple of awkward seconds. The woman in front of her tilted her head for a moment before stepping into the house and closing the door behind her. Miss Pauling took a step back to allow the woman more space as she scanned her surroundings.

"Hello." The woman replied tersely. Miss Pauling was a bit unsure of whether or not she should say anything but the woman beat her to it. "You are Miss Pauling, correct?" She asked.

Miss Pauling smiled awkwardly as she nodded. "Yes! I am, and you are…?" She pried curiously. The woman smiled slightly as she walked passed Pauling and sat on the bed.

"I'm Celia Rivers." She answered. "So, what am I doing here, Miss Pauling?"

"Oh right, um, well, according to the Administrator you are now stationed here to help us. However…" Miss Pauling trailed off, not really sure how to bring up her concerns about Celia's... well, appearance.

"Do you not see me fit to perform such a task?" Celia asked humorously, the smile turning to a smirk. Miss Pauling sputtered over her words as she tried to get in a coherent sentence, as to not insult the person. Celia raised an eyebrow, her smirk widening.

"Um, well, it's just that… well, you look... um, you are not what I was expecting." Miss Pauling stammered. Celia blinked before her expression turned neutral.

"Well, I suppose you'd recognize me by a different name. Celia Rivers is my real name but Lorelei is my pseudonym." She explained and as soon as she finished her sentence, Miss Pauling's eyes widened and her mouth dropped.

"Wait. You're _the_ Lorelei? This has got to be a joke or something!" Miss Pauling exclaimed, surprised and in disbelief. "You… oh my god…"

Celia laughed. Oh god, this was too funny. "No, it's not a joke. I'm the real Lorelei and yes, I do not appear to be so threatening but then again… I suppose that makes it easier to do my job." She giggled coyly.

Miss Pauling cracked a smile at that. Celia was right, she could definitely have an upper hand against unsuspecting opponents. "I see." Miss Pauling replied. "Anyways, I should probably explain what on earth is even going on. You will be accompanying me to the base of 9 individuals who are all mercenaries. Each one of them is hired to help Mann Co. fight against Gray Mann's robots. We can head over there whenever you are ready, Miss Rivers."

Celia smiled at that. "Indeed, I'm ready."

Miss Pauling was surprised at how quickly the girl replied and how eager she seemed to be here. While she didn't know why Celia was here or for what purpose exactly, she trusted the Administrator and knew that if she invited a seemingly random person, it was _never_ for no reason. Miss Pauling knew that very well and would carry out this order to escort the newcomer to the base, even though she did have questions of her own about why Celia was here… perhaps she would get them sometime soon.

* * *

As the two drove through a desert, Celia couldn't help but wonder just what kind of people these nine mercenaries would be. Probably some highly trained men who had excellent combat skills if they were fighting robots by Gray Mann. While not being intimately familiar with the guy, Celia knew who Gray Mann was - a notoriously secretive criminal who liked to keep his existence and operations a secret. He was never one to make stupid mistakes let alone wage war for useless desert land…

Unless he was after something else. It wasn't hard to connect the dots and realize that Gray was after Mann Co. - one of the largest weapons, ammunition (and hats along with other products) company in the world for the underground. However, the man himself had so much wealth and power that he really had no use for the company besides expanding his reach, which was already far and wide enough. So, that presented a new question for Celia.

What was so special about Mann Co.?

A topic she would have to think on later, seeing as Miss Pauling had interrupted her musings with a question: "So… how did you become Lorelei?"

This question threw Celia off guard. She had never been really asked about her past, so it was kind of sweet to be asked personal questions seeing as she never really gotten them. But she wasn't about to divulge her messy history with a total stranger. So she settled on a rather blase but semi-vague response.

"My mentor trained me since I was 5. It was hard work and I was very good at what I now do. So, I decided to become an assassin. Good money, with some risks, but I like risks. Especially if the money is good. Luxurious lifestyle and having connections with powerful people… the good stuff, you know?" She chatted casually. Miss Pauling was rather surprised that Celia actually answered her question but kept her remarks to herself.

Miss Pauling decided to pick her words for her next question wisely. She didn't want to compromise certain things to a complete stranger, despite the Administrator's approval to let her in on the war. "How much do you know about the Gravel Wars?"

Celia paused, as if to think on how to answer it and then she realized it. "Well… honestly, I know a bit about it. I never got too involved with the brothers because I figured it was a waste of time to do any research pertaining to them. All I know now is that Redmond and Blutarch Mann are dead and that Gray Mann is trying to take over the Gravel lands, thanks to you."

Miss Pauling nodded once, her lips pursed slightly as she stared ahead and on the road. When Celia realized that Miss Pauling had nothing else to talk about, she turned away to look out the window of her car door, observing the desolate lands. She briefly wondered if she would receive any answers from this trip… it was worth a shot though. The rest of the drive persisted in silence, with neither woman talking.

Until they reached the main base of operations.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm baaack babies!

Btw, I'm updating this story because I am back from my semi-permanent hiatus. Yeah, it's been a while, please forgive me!

Anyway, enjoy this chapter!

* * *

_Consequences of Evanescence_

Chapter Three:

"Of a Witch and Nine Mercenaries"

* * *

"_People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do."_

**Isaac Asimov**

* * *

_2030 hours - Home Base, Gravel Lands, New Mexico - September 5th, 1971_

Suffice to say, Celia was not initially impressed by the look of the place. Sure, it was big and rather spaciously spread out but despite that, it was a rather uninspiring place. And it was in the middle of buttfuck nowhere. Regardless, she kept her mouth shut, hoping beyond all hopes that could meet this Helen woman. She was the key to finding Celia's mother after all…

"Would you prefer to be introduced as your assassin name, your legal name, or a title?" Miss Pauling's voice interrupted Celia's train of thought. The woman looked at the younger lady in curiosity.

"Well, I'd rather my actual legal name be kept a secret, and honestly, I don't think I want these men to know who I am." Celia smirked as she added on, "Just to mess with them, you know." Miss Pauling couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"Well, they are certainly not expecting you, of all people." Miss Pauling stated honestly.

"Is it because I am a woman?" Celia asked knowingly. Miss Pauling half smiled as she shook her head.

"There will be a little bit of that, yes." Miss Pauling said bluntly. "But either way, if the Administrator wants you around, then you must be useful in some sense."

At that, Celia smirked again. Of course, when it came to big shots like whoever this Administrator or Helen was, it was always about people and how useful or integral they were to a plot. Celia knew women like the Administrator and quite frankly, she liked to remain useful. Otherwise, you'd be wanted dead.

"Indeed," Celia said. "You mentioned a title. What does that mean?"

At that, Miss Pauling perked up. "Well, all the Mercenaries in Mann Co.'s employ have titles that they use as identifiers."

'Or to dehumanize them.' Celia thought internally but didn't vocalize her thoughts.

"Seeing as you will become one and since you're being employed, you should also have one." Miss Pauling stated plainly. At that Celia was confused. She was being employed? Is that the purpose for why her mother brought her here? Why would her mother send her to this place to be employed? Celia's initial thought was that there was something else going on and that perhaps Helen and her mother went farther back than Celia thought. In all honesty, Celia hadn't a clue what was going on. Though she would not voice or show her uncertainty and confusion. She was a trained witch after all and she would discover her purpose here soon.

"What kind of title?" Celia asked, trying to take the edge off and go to another topic, lest she be caught up in her thoughts again.

"Well, the mercs go by titles like Scout, Engineer, Heavy, and so forth. I'm assuming you would rather choose your own name?" Miss Pauling explained. At the thought of a title, Celia knew immediately what she wanted to go by. It was almost laughable how blatant and obvious it was but she was never one for the abstract.

"The Witch." Celia stated plainly. At that, Miss Pauling looked at her in confusion. Celia didn't even have to look at her to know what the lady was thinking. She smiled coyly and Miss Pauling clearly saw it but did not comment on it.

Instead, she simply said, "The Witch it is then."

As they entered the building, Celia immediately searched her surroundings and noted the hallways and the gray look to it all. It was rather plain yet surprisingly clean. She also took notice of some boxes lying on the floor - looking to be weapons crates or something of the sort. She exhaled softly as she followed Miss Pauling down the hall and to, what she presumed to be the main living area.

She was correct in that assumption and was slightly surprised to find seven out of the nine men already there. They had all been doing their own things. And while Celia could not identify any of them, she took notice of their habits and what they did for fun. Useful information for another time. Most of them noticed Miss Pauling and Celia entering the room and she suddenly felt like a sore thumb, being dressed in white while these men were dressed in black and different colors. She didn't dare let them see her feel different as she forced a slight smile, making it look genuine.

"Everyone, this is our new recruit, her title is the Witch." Miss Pauling announced as she introduced Celia.

There was almost no time for Celia to say anything before the youngest man in the group exclaimed, "She's a girl?" At that, Celia couldn't help but laugh genuinely. All the tension had been seeped from the room, at least for Celia.

"Yes, I am a girl, as you say." Celia started with a giggle as she started walking towards the table where the man sat. "You may call me Witch, as Miss Pauling has introduced me as." With that she had arrived at the table and sat down at the free chair. She looked at the men seated and noted their appearances. But her target was the younger male. He looked thin yet lithe, fast and quick. What he lacked in muscle, he didn't lack in speed. He wore a gray shirt with a baseball cap.

"But make no mistake, I could and will easily kick your scrawny arse across this room." She leaned over, almost predatory. Suddenly her tone shifted to sweet and polite as she asked, "So what's your name then, sweetheart?"

The guy in front of her was very uncomfortable and she could feel it radiating off of him. Good. She wasn't one not to be taken seriously. He mustered a smile as he chuckled nervously. "Er, my name's Scout. Sorry…" He apologized.

At that, Celia blinked in surprise but her expression did not change. Had he actually apologized? From what she could tell, he appeared to be young. Still in his twenties and a bit oblivious. She could not fault him for a social hiccup. Her expression shifted as she smiled genuinely.

"Very nice to meet you, Scout." She said honestly. Scout looked suddenly much happier. Celia turned to the other men in the group and finally noticed that everyone in the room had short of taken a seat at the table. Those who did not, stood at the sides and watched on with some sense of superiority.

"Anyway," One of the men suddenly said. She turned to the male and saw he was a shorter yet broader fellow with black clothes fit for a mechanic. He wore goggles and a hardhat so she could not see his eyes nor his head. "My name is Engineer. Pleasure to meet you, Witch."

Ah, a gentleman. Celia could certainly appreciate a man with social skills and politeness. She chuckled. "Pleasure is all mine."

"Demoman! But you can call me Demo." The man who spoke up was the only other person of color there. He was Scottish as far as Celia could tell due to his accent. She smiled at the accent, happy to have a fellow European, much more a fellow British person there. "Where ye from?"

"I'm from England. Manchester area." Celia answered honestly.

"Mighty fine!" Demo announced, slurring his speech. Celia suspected he was drunk.

"My designation is Soldier!" A very American voice shouted as he burst up standing from his chair. Celia was momentarily shocked but retained her ground. He was loud and bombastic, dressed in a soldier uniform and had a combat hat that was too big for his head so it came over his eyes. How he managed to see, Celia had no idea. Celia didn't say anything to this man.

"Heavy Weapons Guy." A very thick Russian accent said, although he sounded very intimidating, Celia tried not to judge. She knew Russians who sounded scary but had genuine hearts of gold. This man was the biggest and tallest. He was not overweight by any means, just broad and bulky. "But you may call me Heavy." Celia nodded once in respect.

"I'm Sniper." The second tallest man stated. Celia felt small compared to some of these men, especially Heavy. Sniper wasn't much different. His accent was clearly Australian but he looked nothing like an idiot Australian. He was thin with broad shoulders and not much facial hair, only some sideburns. He was dressed in hunting clothes and wore a leather hat. "Nice to meet cha."

"Nice to meet you too." Celia replied politely.

"And that's Pyro. They don't really talk much but if you ever need a translator, let me know." Engineer said, pointing to the last member in the group. Pyro was dressed in a flame retardant suit that was very good at hiding the person's gender. Celia simply assumed by the way that Engineer used 'they' as a singular pronoun that the Pyro was gender non-conforming. Celia gave them a nod, which the person didn't even seem to notice. "We're missing two of our members. I called Medic about 20 minutes ago but I haven't seen Spy. Although I'm sure you'll be seeing them around regardless of if they show up tonight."

"So, you mentioned that yer a witch, eh?" Demoman asked curiously. Everyone's interest certainly peaked at that comment.

"Yes, you could say that." She replied tersely.

"SO YOU'RE A WIZARD!" Soldier yelled, once again, surprising the living daylights out of Celia. "I had a roommate who was a Wizard!"

Celia took a moment to recover from Soldier's bombastic nature and shook her head. "I'm a Witch, not a Wizard. There is a difference."

"How so?" Heavy asked curiously. Celia smirked once more.

"You'll see." She replied tersely.

"So how did you end up here?" Sniper asked with a slight edge to his voice. He was one of the people standing up and he was sharpening his large knife. Celia was not one to be easily intimidated by a man with a large knife. Hers are bigger after all.

"Probably how you ended up here. I got hired." Celia retorted with snark in her tone. She could see the amused glint in his eyes. She wasn't telling anybody anything about her true purpose here.

"You got cool gloves!" Scout commented as he gestured to the long, almost shoulder length gloves that were white just like her outfit. She raised her arm up to better show off the glove.

"Oh? This ditty? Well, it's quite wonderful, I agree." She replied.

"Why don't you take it off?" Engineer asked with interest. Celia gave him an amused expression.

"I could ask you the same question, Engineer." She said slowly. Engineer paused before he nodded once.

"Touche."

Most of them laughed at that, including Celia.

* * *

After a couple of hours of getting to know the team, she found herself rather liking the peculiar bunch. They certainly were not average, everyday, run of the mill, serious, mercenaries. They were funny and didn't take themselves too seriously. Celia liked that about the group.

When she was ready to retire for the night, Miss Pauling had led her to her room. It was small and not very spacious but Celia would make do. She had slept in conditions far worse than this. And this wasn't even bad. It was clean, the walls were made of metal and so was the floor. She had a single bed with a desk to the other side. There was a small drawer for clothes and that was it. Celia knew for certain she could make do. She wasn't like many other witches who brought around all of their spellbooks and goodies. She was a meticulous packer and a meticulous person. She brought only the bare necessities.

That and a framed photo of her mother and her younger self and a locket which was heart shaped and made of silver. These were not what most people would call essentials but for Celia, they were personal and very important to her. She had worn the locket all day under her dress. It was beautiful and very well crafted. Celia cherished both items dearly.

She put up the framed photo on the desk and yet still out of immediate view. She proceeded to start unpacking what little clothes she brought with her. She had a uniform picked out for herself that she tailored and made for her career as Lorelei. But she knew that she could certainly use it here. The rest were clothes that were just undershirts, underwear, socks, and some night gowns. She also had several pairs of gloves.

Once she had been fully alone in the darkness of her room, only illuminated by the moonlight, she paused as she examined the gloves. Taking great care to remove them, she pulled the first one off and then the second. What might have shocked most people but not her was the sight of her arms. Or, the prosthetics she now had. Her entire arms were mechanical prosthetics that were intricately designed and functioned much like her original arms did. She stared at them for several moments before she snapped out of her daze and put on some new black pairs. She grabbed a bath towel that she had been given, shampoo, and soap, and walked out of her room.

As she walked down the hallway, she could hear the mercs that still remained in the living area, presumably having a drinking contest. She walked by them without a sound and proceeded down her way. She had asked Miss Pauling for a map earlier and it took her seconds to memorize all of the escape routes and the general layout of the base. The other lady had been surprised but delighted as well.

Celia knew that the only reason she was here was to find out what happened to her mother but as she looked down at her free hand, she couldn't help but realize that no one here cared about that. No one even knew about it. She longed for someone to know, but she also knew that nobody could be trusted. This was the world she lived in. Information was power and if you let some wrong people in, they can and will destroy you. Celia knew that from experience.

As much as she prided herself on her own spatial awareness, she was too lost in her thoughts to realize that she was about to bump right into someone. The other person apparently did not notice as well seeing as they both crashed into each other, with the taller person's paperwork flying everywhere and Celia dropping her towel and hygiene products. Both parties stumbled but did not fall back. Celia regained her composure rather quickly and chided herself internally for her carelessness.

"I apologize. My head was in the clouds." Celia stated honestly as she reached down to pick up her items. She heard a distinct laugh as the obviously male figure picked up his own papers.

"No harm done." As they both looked up and their eyes met, Celia paused slightly. She did not recognize him and he definitely didn't recognize her. He looked very confused if anything. He was taller than her and broader than her (as most of these people were.) He was dressed in a lab coat with a beige shirt beneath it alongside a black tie to complete the look. His pants were tucked into his black boots and they gave him a bit of a height boost as well. He was very nicely groomed as well, shaved, short hair and a general cleanliness about him. He wore round glasses and looked down at her with grayish blue eyes.

"You're new." He pointed out bluntly with a German accent. Celia nearly started laughing at his comment but restrained herself.

"That should be obvious, Mr..?" Celia probed, eager to find out this new individual's name.

"Doctor. But I lost my medical license." He said, with a semi serious tone. Celia blinked in shock as she stared up at him with uncertainty. This must have been the team's medic. "You may call me Medic."

Wonderful, for some reason, this team's medic had probably done something crazy to lose said medical license. She tried not to judge. She was an assassin after all. "Pleasure to meet you, mine is the Witch."

"Hmm…" Medic hummed under his breath as he circled Celia, who followed his gaze like a hawk. She was befuddled by his strange behavior. And she refused to believe that he wasn't checking her out. Though of course, he was far from doing that. "Very fascinating."

"What is?" She pressed, her tone darker as she was ready to pull out her dagger just in case.

"Oh, just the fact that you're a woman! It's been a while since I've had an experiment that was a woman." Medic answered with too much honesty in Celia's sweet opinion. And she made her discomfort known, pulling out her dagger at lightning speeds and pointing it directly at Medic's neck.

"Stick anything inside of me that doesn't belong and I will gore you with a butter knife." She threatened darkly as she glared up at him. The man paused and had lifted his hand up in surrender. He chuckled as he took a step forward, pressing the knife into his throat but not puncturing it.

"Well, in my medical opinion, that would be unwise." To her utter surprise, she realized he had pulled a bonesaw from right behind her and was pointing it directly at her back. She looked back up at him with irritation. And he looked down at her with a crazed delight. "You might find yourself bleeding before you could even do so."

"Is that a threat, love?" She leaned in closer and smiled slightly with a challenging look in her eyes. He responded with an equally powerful look.

"Only if you want it to be." He clarified darkly before he suddenly pulled the bonesaw away and stepped back from Celia. She breathed a small sigh of relief but didn't let it show. Then his voice went back to it's delightfully charmed tone, "But I'd rather us be comrades! Allies! Maybe even friends?"

Internally, Celia grumbled. Right, become friends with a man who literally just threatened to kill her. Then again, touche. She did threaten to do the same. "Allies. We are allies fighting against Gray Mann. That is all." She clarified bluntly.

Medic looked almost depressed by that as he scoffed with an almost playful attitude. "Aww, why not be friends? You seem like a smart girl, Hexe." At the nickname, Celia raised an eyebrow. He clearly noticed and smirked. "German for Witch."

At that Celia rolled her eyes. "I know what it means, Elemarn. I am not ignorant. I can understand some German words." She clarified yet lied. She could speak German fluently. "It is just not very original."

She saw him give her a curious look at the term she used for him. She smirked in response. He definitely wouldn't know what that meant. She giggled as she closed her eyes and proceeded to walk past him before standing right next to him. She looked up and grinned. "See you around, Irinkirash."

As she walked away from him, she heard him turn away and say, "See you around as well, Hexe."

/

Medic hadn't expected this. The fact that Witch was a woman was very surprising but not only that, she seemed to be very dangerous as well. Or at least stupidly brave. He didn't want to underestimate her. When she had that knife put to his neck, he was stunned briefly due to her speed and accuracy. This made him think that she was not a force to be reckoned with.

And yet the way she oh so teased him. It genuinely made him giddy to speak to her again. She was dangerous but she was cute when she was frustrated and he could tell she was frustrated. He could tell that she was rather perturbed by the idea of him experimenting on her. Perhaps he shouldn't have said that so brazenly. But he had just been so excited to see a new person to experiment on that he had a slip of the tongue. Oh well, no matter.

She was just a peculiar woman. She looked young, probably compared to him. But then again, he was wrong before. He wondered why she was here. Obviously it was because she was hired but for what purpose? They really didn't need too much help to the point of hiring a new person. It was simply bizarre but for whatever reason, Medic wanted to find out.

The language she spoke he did not recognize. And while he had studied many languages, he wasn't familiar with her strange tongue. It was certainly nothing he had ever heard of. Perhaps it was a language that she had learned from her parents? Regardless, these were all mysteries he wanted to solve.

After she had stood next to him and teased him once more, he came to a surprising conclusion. He liked her. Despite their strange first encounter, he found himself liking her spunk and her attitude. She would certainly survive here, that much he didn't doubt. And that earned her respect.

As he walked down the halls of the base, he returned to his lab and saw Archimedes sitting down on his tools carelessly. He had many doves but Archimedes was sort of his favorite. The bird was far more outgoing and confident and almost suicidal in his curiosity. Medic respected that very much about his birds but especially his baby Archi.

He caressed the dove's small head and the dove gave him a nuzzle of affection in return. "Indeed, we have met our new teammate. She's certainly something." Medic told the bird as he continued to do his own work.


End file.
